6/18/2014 7:10 AM PDT

The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office has announced it will be CANCELLING six federal trademark registrations for the name "Washington Redskins" ... after ruling the name is disparaging to Native Americans.

FYI -- trademark law prevents people from registering trademarks that "may disparage" individuals or groups.

But don't go printing and selling your bootleg Redskins merch just yet -- the team will probably appeal ... and will maintain exclusive rights to the trademark until a federal court makes a ruling.

The appeals court will have to determine if the trademark was offensive at the time the trademark registrations were filed ... some dating back to 1967.